Three cabinet types were created, a standard upright, a sit-down, and a motion-based "deluxe" machine; both of these could be connected, or "linked", together to enable multiplayer.

Cisco Heat was designed by many former employees of Sega, who had left the company to form BitBox, which developed Jaleco Rally: Big Run.

After Jaleco absorbed the company, the team began work on a spiritual successor to Big Run, which became Cisco Heat.

The game was ported to the Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and MS-DOS, all of which were published in Europe by Image Works.

Gameplay is similar to Out Run and Chase H.Q.,[1] where players must race against computer-controlled vehicles to the end of each section, taking place in a different area of San Francisco.

[2] Sections contain famous landmarks from the city, namely the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and tram cars, as well as several features such as steep dives, 90-degree turns and multiple selectable routes, which can allow players to bypass certain portions of the race and shortcut to another area.

Versions for the Atari ST, Commodore 64,[8] Amiga, MS-DOS, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum were published by Image Works.

for their similar gameplay, saying that its impressive atmosphere, fast-paced action and generally well-made presentation made Cisco Heat "one hell of a driving game".